Men urged to 'rise up' and be shepherds during LDS priesthood session

Comparing home teachers to shepherds, LDS Church President Thomas S. Monson urged the men of the church to be shepherds who lead their sheep rather than sheepherders who ride behind their sheep during the LDS priesthood session Saturday night.

“We all need to work together to build spiritual unity within out wards and branches,” Bishop Caussé said. “Unity is not achieved by ignoring and isolating members who seem to be different or weaker and only associating with people who are like us. On the contrary, unity is gained by welcoming and serving those who are new or who have particular needs. These members are a blessing for the church and provide us with opportunities to serve our neighbors and thus purify our own hearts.”

Remember, he told priesthood holders, “no one is a stranger to our Heavenly Father. There is no one whose soul is not precious to him.”

Elder Randy D. Funk of the Seventy spoke of missionary work, proclaiming: “What a wonderful season it is to be a missionary — a time when the Lord is hastening his work!”

In order to participate in this exciting time of missionary service, Elder Funk urged young men to prepare spiritually by living a virtuous life, and to sincerely repent when mistakes are made.

“As you live a virtuous life, you will feel a peaceful confidence in your standing before God and you will have the power of the Spirit to be with you,” he said.

The process of acquiring such spirituality, Elder Funk said, “begins with a broken heart.”

“Think of the good that comes from broken things,” he said. “Soil is broken to plant wheat. Wheat is broken to make bread. Bread is broken to become the emblems of the sacrament. When one who is repent partakes of the sacrament with a broken heart and a contrite spirit, he or she becomes whole.

“As we repent and become whole through the Atonement of Jesus Christ, we have much more to offer the Savior as we serve him.”

Music for the priesthood session was provided by a special Young Men’s choir from the Murray Utah Area. Prayers were offered by Elder Paul E. Koelliker, who was granted emeritus general authority status earlier in the day, and Elder Walter F. González of the Seventy.

Popular Comments

@Admiring Gentile We follow the Master.. Jesus Christ who gave the example of
the care of Shepard over his flocks. Not so much that the flocks were sheep..
or the character of the sheep.. but the character of the Shepard. It was his
use of
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12:42 p.m. Oct. 6, 2013

Top comment

Admiring Gentile

Salt Lake City, UT

As a Jew, I've always admired so many Mormon values, especially the desire
to care for our fellow humans.

But--also as a Jew--I'm always
perplexed by the metaphor so often used by Mormons and other Christians to
describe that
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Joseph Walker began his professional writing career in 1980 as a staff writer for the Deseret News in Salt Lake City, eventually becoming the newspaper's television and live theater critic. He left professional journalism more ..